Government issues SMS to remind Hong Kong residents in Thailand to attend to safety
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The Government today (April 23) issued SMS over mobile phones to Hong Kong residents in Thailand with roaming services to inform them of the latest situation in Bangkok and remind them to attend to their personal safety.

A government spokesman said that tension in Bangkok had increased with bomb blasts and violent clashes in the city last night. He reminded residents that Black Outbound Travel Alert (OTA) for Thailand (Bangkok) is still in force. Residents are urged to avoid all travel to Bangkok. Those already there should attend to their personal safety and avoid protests and large gatherings of people.

As at 3pm today (April 23), the Assistance to Hong Kong Residents Unit of the Immigration Department had handled six assistance cases since the Black OTA for Thailand (Bangkok) was issued on April 10. The assistance cases involved loss of travel documents in Bangkok and difficulty in arranging earlier flights back to Hong Kong. All the cases have been resolved.

Since March 10, 402 enquiries have been received. They were mainly about the OTA in force, local flight information and the latest situation in Bangkok.

The Security Bureau together with other relevant government bureaux and departments are closely monitoring the situation in Bangkok and surrounding areas. They have been in close liaison with the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in Hong Kong and the Chinese Embassy in Thailand. Any update will be issued through the media and the OTA webpage (www.sb.gov.hk/eng/ota).

Residents outside Hong Kong who need assistance may call the 24-hour hotline (852) 1868 of the Assistance to Hong Kong Residents Unit of the Immigration Department.